From the Desk of Editor-in-Chief

The recent RSS conference by Mohan Bhagwat to redefine the identity of RSS making it more inclusive and shifting the identity from Pro Hindu- Anti Muslim to a pro-Hindustan identity including all the Hindustan born citizens including Hindus and Muslims. This repositioning of RSS is a response to the growing criticism of RSS from the opposition political parties like Congress and Communist. This effort of RSS to redefine its identity has posed a serious challenge for the opposition parties taking away usual attacking points like anti-Muslim and Hindu fundamentalist etc.

The repositioning helps RSS and BJP to expand its vote banks and appeal to the larger segment of voting population enhancing the electoral prospects on BJP in the coming election. In this context, it is felt essential that the political developments linking RSS, BJP and Congress parties need to be analyzed with a holistic perspective to study their contribution to the responsible politics in India. The relevant facts for a holistic analysis are as under:

It is a fact that the power of an idea has no boundaries. For example the philosophy of AdiShankaracharya on Hinduism a genius from a Kerala a Southern state, who travelled the whole country and set up four Centres / Monastries/Mathas responsible for revival and spread of Advaita Vedanta and Hinduism for which he is known as the greatest revivalist and is believed to be responsible for revival and unification of Hinduism against the growing supremacy of Buddhism. Other Similar Spiritual and Cultural Movements include the Shakti movement, Ramakrishna Mission led Modern Hindu Movement, which has spread all over the world.

Along with these, the Congress Movement was a political movement founded in 1885;the first modern nationalist movement in the British Empire, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, Congress became the principal leader of the Indian independence movement, leading India to independence from British.

However, compared to Congress, RSS was born in during the freedom struggle days in Nagpur by K. B Hedgewar in 1925 as a national volunteer organization to promote Cultural and social movement against British rule as a response to Hindu Muslim Riot in Kolkata. Hedgewar was heavily influenced by writings of Hindu nationalist ideologue Veer Savarkar focusing on the need for creating a Hindu nation. Thus the original character of RSS remained to be volunteering for creating socio-cultural movement and soco-cultural organization for freedom of India. RSS was regularly patronized by members of the Congress party including the former head of the Nagpur Congress M. S. Golwalkarand Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, a member of Nehru Cabinet and, a member of Congress who led the process of formation of Jan Sangh. The core of RSS central ideology has evolved during the freedom struggle and disenchantment of Gandhi and Nehru model of politics which was to secure freedom from Britishers at any cost, including the cost of the Cultural identity of India as a Nation, and appeasement of Muslims and partition of India. The Muslim appeasement politics of Gandhi and Nehru was the primary source of disconnect between Congress and the RSS organization operating with a nationalistic vision dominated by Hindu communities. Gandhis repeated demands for accommodating Muslims resulted in the evolution of an identity of RSS as an Anti-Muslim organization. Therefore, it may be said that the evolution of RSS as an organization is induced by the ideology of RSS founders so much so as the politics of Gandhi & Nehru. During those times in Indian History, apart from Congress, RSS was the only alternate organisation with mass base charged with the spirit of unifying India Culturally with its ancient heritage and save it from aggressive Muslim dominance.

The direction of RSS has evolved over the years as a socio-culture entity with a mass Hindu base, which has supported causes like freedom Struggle led by Congress, and other socio-political movements including JP movement, Ayodhya Movement and Anna Movement. Though Congress appreciated the strength of RSS in terms of its mass base it could not accept RSS as a potential opponent and threat to its vote bank aspirations, even though RSS had no political goals. But the threat perception of Congress wrt, RSS was real due to its mass appeal.

So Congress attempted to demolish it by banning RSS permanently; Nehru wanted to Ban RSS permanently in 1948 after the assassination of Gandhiji and again in 1974 Indira Gandhi banned RSS for its support to the JP Movement. This repeated effort of Congress to ban RSS induced RSS to develop a political wing to transform its socio-cultural power to political power to claim its rightful share in the affairs of the nation and deal with opponents, which led to the formation of Jan Sangh in the 1951 and BJP in 1977. Jan Sangh merged with Jaanta Party in 1977 and after the collapse of Jaanta party; Jan Sangh emerged as a new party called BJP claiming to be the original Janta party to manifest its political ideology and counter the appeasement brand of politics of Congress.

Now, it would be clear to appreciate the behaviour of Congress towards RSS linking it with all the Hindu terror, fundamentalist etc. is obviously out of insecurity of Congress and its greed to single-handedly dominate the political space of India, even, Mahatma Gandhi had advised to Close down Congress Party, Indian Nation Congress after its objective of gaining independence was achieved. The ability of BJP to emerge as a dominant central political entity and the response of RSS has been to consolidate its political base by strengthening BJP. The pronouncement of Mohan Bhagawat can be appreciated as a response to the attack of Congress to block the progress of BJP and RSS. However, the real concern for the nation is that the fight for the power by these two parties should not act against India.

This issue covers a lead story on NAGARRO. As usual this issue covers Interview of Mr. Deepak Amitabh, CMD, PTC India Ltd. We have also covered the Guest Column of Dr. Srikant Sharma, MBBS, MD on Global Health.

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CSR VISION is India’s ( probably world’s ) first monthly magazine in print devoted to CSR and Sustainable Development for bringing together all stakeholders of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT at a global and local levels and act as a platform for promoting strategic CSR and sustainable development practices through dissemination of information and knowledge.